The problem is, from my viewpoint, AOW is better than nothing, but it STILL doesn't make you much better. You can't learn what you haven't been exposed to.
Not to hurt the feelings of any PADI Pro, but I was recently told, by a PADI "Pro" (Rank withheld purposely) no less, that the "Hover" couldn't be taught in the "Horizontal" position, and that it was just too hard to do.....................Uhggggggg. I SWEAR I can't do it in the "lotus" position, but the "Horizontal" is just too easy. This guy was dead serious when speaking.
WTF?
Are some of these guys so PADI-ized that they truly don't know how to dive at all? I'd love to watch them dive from a distance just to see........
As to the 84 quarry dives to Instructor scenario, I agree fully with Boogie. I don't care how many 30ft low vis Nav dives you have, you ain't qualified, IMHO, to teach much of anything BUT Basic OW.
Respectfully
Steve